Carmen was born on July 9, 2016 in Guatemala. Unfortunately, her mother had complications with the placenta, and she lost so much blood that she passed away shortly after giving birth.
Since she was giving birth at home in a mountainous and incredibly rural area, no medical help was available to her until she had already passed. After asking around the community to see if there were other mothers that could breast milk and coming up short, Carmen’s father contacted our staff to see if there was support he could receive for his daughter.
Carmen is the youngest of 10 children. They live in a one-room home made of cinderblocks with a tin roof. Her father works as a day laborer, making a few dollars per day that he uses to buy food for his children. Unfortunately, formula costs more than his salary, making it impossible for him to afford this life-saving treatment for his daughter.
Although Carmen’s case is serious and life-threatening, treatment is simple. For $1,016, we can provide Carmen with formula that will give her all the protein, calories, and nutrients she needs to be healthy and strong. Carmen’s father and her other caregivers will also receive nutritional education to prevent future malnutrition.
With our help, Carmen’s father will no longer have to live with the stress of not being able to feed his daughter on top of grieving the loss of his wife.
“My hope is that my daughter grows healthy and active, I am appreciative for the support that she will get,” Carmen’s father said.